GORAN POTKONJAK

 Imagine a city unlike any other, where every building stands not in one place, but in many places at once. This city, which we will call Superposition City, serves as a metaphor for one of the strangest and most fascinating principles in quantum mechanics: superposition. Now, let’s connect this concept to a project titled “Superposition,” which explores the visual representation of this principle through photography.

 In the world of quantum mechanics, particles such as electrons don't behave like the solid, predictable objects we're used to. Instead, they exist in a state of superposition, meaning they can be in multiple states simultaneously until they are observed. This defies our everyday experiences and challenges our understanding of reality.

 The photography project captures this abstract concept in a tangible form. It involves photographing a 50x50 cm object, illuminated with colorful lights against a black background. By moving the back of the camera independently from the static lens during the exposure, images are created that are repetitively blurred to varying degrees. This technique results in images where the same object appears multiple times, layered and shifting, evoking a sense of being in multiple places at once.

 In this way, the photographs become a visual metaphor for superposition. Just as a quantum particle can exist in multiple states simultaneously, the images show the object in a multitude of positions and forms, all coexisting within the same frame. The colorful lights add to the ethereal quality, creating a dynamic interplay of light and shadow that further emphasizes the multiplicity of the object's existence.

 For the viewer, each photograph in the “Superposition” series offers a glimpse into a world where the boundaries of reality blur. The repeated, blurred images of the object evoke a sense of movement and change, yet they are all part of a single, coherent piece. This mirrors the behavior of particles in quantum mechanics, where the exact position and state of a particle are indeterminate until measured.

 This approach to the project echoes the concept of wave function collapse in quantum mechanics. The camera, like an observer in a quantum experiment, influences the final image. The movement of the camera’s back, akin to the act of measurement, determines how the object’s multiple positions are captured and displayed. Each photograph represents a unique collapse of the superposition, freezing one of the countless possible states into a single, observable image.

 In the imaginary Superposition City, the skyscraper isn't confined to a single identity. It’s both a relic of the past and a marvel of the future, occupying various positions in space and time simultaneously. Similarly, these photographs transcend a single perspective, presenting the object as a fluid entity that exists across multiple dimensions.

©Goran Potkonjak 2024